


The Green Blade

by Felicia_Rottingstone



Series: The Rogue of Orzammar [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: A Missing Child, Gen, Redcliffe (Dragon Age), Standing up to Sten Gains Approval, The Green Blade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26190115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felicia_Rottingstone/pseuds/Felicia_Rottingstone
Summary: Natia Brosca is surprised by what causes her to lose and gain approval with her new Qunari companion, Sten.
Relationships: Sten & Female Brosca, Sten & Female Warden (Dragon Age), Sten & Warden (Dragon Age)
Series: The Rogue of Orzammar [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1468003
Kudos: 7





	The Green Blade

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the funniest thing Sten ever did to me in-game, which didn't happen until my 7th or 10th play-through.

No matter how many times it happened, Natia couldn’t seem to get used to being viewed as a hero. Every time someone asked for her help, she would glance around to double-check that they were actually talking to her, and not someone taller, older, wearing better armor and heavier swords. Humans were weird like that. They could clearly see the brand on her cheek. They asked her for help anyway.

And most of the time Natia gave it. She wasn’t heartless. She was, however, shrewd enough to get paid for helping, when she could. She needed to eat. She needed to replace broken gear and dented armor. She needed to save up in case the humans realized she was little more than a glorified thug with sticky fingers and she needed a quick getaway. She needed to be able to pay off anyone who noticed her sticky fingers. Natia knew what it was to be destitute, so it wasn’t like she’d hold their life for ransom. But if they had a little extra coin, a few valuables they could do without, she deserved to get paid for her work.

Which is why, when Kaitlyn told her she could keep the fancy longsword that her little brother Bevin had been after, a veridium blade of Elvish make, Natia had simply thanked her for the gift. A sword as fine as the Green Blade would be useful in battle, and if she found something better, it would fetch a pretty penny from any half-decent merchant. 

“The helpless need not ask for what is deserved,” Sten growled. With a quickness that surprised her, he reached down and plucked the bag of coins from Natia’s belt, half lifting her off the ground before the strings broke. She barely kept herself from falling over as he offered the entire pouch to Kaitlyn, whose mouth hung open in awe as she gleefully accepted it. 

Perhaps, if she’d had any way to predict this behavior whatsoever, she would have given Sten a task that did not include following her around as she chased after Bevin. In her defense, he had killed an entire innocent family not so long ago. Killers weren’t supposed to be hung up on the morality of fair payment. 

As Sten marched out of the Chantry, Natia turned back to Kaitlyn with what she hoped was a charming smile, “It’s so nice that he was so eager to pay you, huh. Couldn’t even wait for me to untie the bag.”

Natia forced out a chuckle, but she needn’t have bothered. Kaitlyn was still staring after the enormous Qunari that had just carelessly given away all of Natia’s hard-earned money. She couldn’t blame the human. There were at least three hundred silver pieces in that pouch, which was probably more than the woman had ever seen before. She took advantage of Kaitlyn’s distraction and followed after Sten, Boulder on her heels, before the woman could realize that Natia hadn’t had any intention of paying her for the sword.

When she caught up with Sten, he was sharpening the war axe he’d been using at the blacksmith’s. He didn’t greet her approach or even look up at her, which told her that he knew exactly how annoyed she was.

“Hey, Sten, I have a question for you,” she started, pasting an easy grin on her face. “When that war axe you’re using breaks, you know, because that’s what usually happens to war axes you find in forest ruins, are you going to have the money to replace it?”

He didn’t acknowledge her. She crossed her arms and leaned against a fence post, making sure that anyone who saw them would think it was simply a nice friendly chat. Even Boulder was convinced, and he sprawled on his side in the grass, his tongue lolling out in relaxation.

“Wait, I have another question,” she continued. “If you get hungry while we’re in Redcliff, do you have the money to buy food? What if Wynne gets hungry? Or Morrigan? Can you buy them food? Because I can’t. Because someone decided to take all of my money, the money that I’ve been using to keep this entire party well-equipped, well-fed, and alive. So, I hope you’ve got the coin to get us through, or else we’ll be in trouble.”

Natia didn’t mention the coins she has sewn into the lining of her bedroll, the ones she kept in her boots, or the pouch she’d tucked under her breasts, kept from clinking by the snug fit of her breast band. That wasn’t the point, though.

“If we are hungry, we can hunt,” he grunted. “We are all fully capable of looking after ourselves. Those who are not do not deserve to be taken advantage of.”

“Who was taking advantage of her?” Natia snapped back, her exasperation breaking her false smile. “She told me I could keep it.”

“Do not play the fool, Warden. You had just rescued her only kin. She could not have asked for what was rightfully hers, but that does not mean you do not have to give it.”

“Since when do Qunari care about kin?” Natia demanded. “And why is it my fault that I don’t know the weird social customs of humans? It’s weird that you do.”

“Enough,” he growled, rising back to his feet, his sharpening done. “I will not play this game with you. You are more tiresome than a Hissrad.”

Natia glared up at him, further irritated that he had not remained seated. If he thought that being three times her height would cow her into silence, he’d be surprised to discover she had no problems scaling him like a wall and poking him in the eye.

“How’s this for not playing a game,” she growled back, her dangerous tone of voice causing Boulder to spring to his feet in anticipation of violence. “Where I come from, stealing from your own is a good way to end up dead. If you take from me again, if you try to force me to follow the inane customs of half-wit humans, then I’ll repay the favor by introducing you to Duster culture in the most unpleasant way possible.”

“Do you truly think you could best me?”

Natia gritted her teeth. “Look, you giant bronto. You haven’t known me very long, but I am not some spoiled noble or warrior caste nug-licker, okay? I didn’t get a big shiny sword on my birthday to go with my perfect pedigree. I had to fight for every scrap I’ve ever gotten. I’m not a Gray Warden because I got bored or was looking for glory. I’m a Gray Warden because I was the best damn fighter in Orzammar, a fact that was so embarrassing to all those dust-easting wannabees that they tried to kill me for it. In my first fight after joining, I took down an ogre twice as big as you and three times as ugly. So yeah. I think I have a shot.”

With a slight cock to his head, Sten considered the seething dwarf before him. She held his gaze with unwavering intensity, unwilling to give him even the slightest indication that she didn’t fully believe her threat. After all, it wasn’t like she’d taken down that ogre single-handedly, and she had a gut feeling that if she and Sten came to blows, she’d be on her own. Maybe she could beat him, maybe she couldn’t, but if she could make him believe she could, neither of them would ever have to find out.

Finally, Sten took a small step backward. More of a shuffle, really, but it was enough to let her know that she’d won. She kept her expression hard and intimidating, only sighing in relief on the inside.

“Very well,” he conceded, inclining his head slightly. “Next time, I will simply point out the errors of your ways so that you may choose a better course of action on your own.”

Natia blinked at him. It was hardly better than what he’d done, but she could work with it. It was far easier for her to talk her way into someone’s good graces than it was to replace lost coin. She made a mental note to be careful about demanding payment around him in the future, just in case he got the urge to be charitable to someone who wasn’t her. “How thoughtful.”

She couldn't be sure, but Natia thought she saw the corner of his mouth lift a little, as if the ghost of a smile had passed over it. How peculiar. It was almost as if he’d approved of her calling him a giant bronto, or maybe he was simply impressed by the bravado of someone so small having so much self-confidence. Then again, he was a soldier. Soldiers like to follow orders, no matter where they came from. If that was the case, Natia would happily boss him around. 

Her first order would always be, “don’t touch my money.”


End file.
